Lawrenceburg West Levee
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
American Structurepoint designed a new, approximately three-mile-long flood protection levee along the Ohio River. The $36 million flood control barrier near the convergence of the Ohio River and Tanners Creek was designed to protect the City of Lawrenceburg from backwater effects of the 100-year Ohio River flood event. Through coordination with FEMA, the construction of this levee will also allow for direct removal of approximately 500 acres of land from the Ohio River flood zone.
The stop-log-type floodgate structure at US 50 was selected for its economy and ease of use. The foundation system was designed to allow construction to proceed in small increments and be performed only during nighttime hours to minimize traffic restrictions on this high-use roadway. A concrete masonry storage structure for the floodgate components was designed and sited adjacent to the floodgate location. In order to maximize the amount of land protected and to maintain a state highway located at the perimeter of the protected boundary, a unique reinforced-concrete floodwall system supported by steel H-piles encased in drill concrete shafts, in combination with steel tendon tiebacks into the in situ soils, was designed. This system allows for floodwall construction on areas of relatively steep existing terrain where earthen levee is not possible. At level ground areas where earthen levee was not practical, sheet piling and reinforced-concrete "I-walls" and reinforced concrete "T-walls" were utilized for economy. Gate well structures and utility piping penetrations were designed into the system as required for removal of stormwater from inside the protected area. One component of this project was design of a stormwater lift station capable of discharging water from the interior of the levee during flood conditions. Preliminary design indicated this pump station would include the pumps and be capable of discharging approximately 500 million gallons per day.